An historical examination of water-powered mill sites and markets using geographic information system analysis: Augusta County, Virginia, 1880-1885

Water powered mills were a very important part of life in early America, and Augusta County, Virginia had an abundance of milling activity. Excellent records of milling activity, farm production, and road and farm locations for the period of 1880-1885 allowed a geographic information system (GIS) database to be formed so that spatial patterns could be verified and identified in the Riverheads district of the county. Service areas of 21 mills were identified by using a GIS to calculate the shortest road distance to surrounding farms. It was found that wheat, the main crop, was most likely shipped from the 369 farms to the closest mills. A correlation was also found between wheat production and distance from the mill, thus farmers closer to a mill were more likely to grow wheat. The study also demonstrates the usefulness of GIS analysis and computer cartography in historical, geographic research which has traditionally used theoretical approaches or lacked adequate data for GIS analysis.